?That Guy Would Be Dead?: Former NBA Referee Recounts Officiating the Malice at the Palace Game

The NBA is a multi-billion dollar empire that, in a lot of ways, has helped families from all over the world. Having employed more than 1000 people as NBA staff, the organization continues to grow even today. However, all of this would have come crashing down because of one incident during a game, famously known as the ?Malice at the Palace?.

In a recent interview, a former NBA referee recalls his experience of officiating the infamous game.

Former NBA Referee?s experience at the ?Malice at the Palace? Game

In a recent YouTube interview for ?djvlad?, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy talks in detail about what actually happened in the ?Malice at the Palace? game.

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The former NBA referee states, “It was a game where Indiana and Detroit had a rivalry that was getting heated. We had a game, I think it was on TNT, and near the end of the game, it was decided that Indiana had won.”

Donaghy further explains, “There was a meaningless foul (in the game) that was taken and Ron Artest had gotten into a little heated argument with Ben Wallace. Artest then went and laid over on the scores table, and somebody threw something at him. He then ran up into the stands and you know, a big fight started.”

The host then talks about how well-built and strong Ron Artest was at the time and how it could?ve ended horrifically for the people whom Artest randomly started punching. Tim Donaghy mentions what he did, admitting that when the fight broke out, ?We tried to break it up in the beginning but then we kind of just stepped back and started taking notes.?

Tim Donaghy recalls how one fan could have almost died as well. Donaghy says, ?I remember I was standing right next to Jermaine O?Neal when this heavy Mexican kid came at him and wanted to fight him and Jermaine wound up and punched him right into the jaw.”

Donaghy further explains, “His (Jermaine?s) foot had slipped because there was water on the floor, and if his back foot hadn?t slipped, I think that guy would?ve been dead. That?s how hard a punch he threw at him. So yeah, there were fights going all over the place.”

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The ?Malice in the Palace? was a big failure on the NBA?s part to ensure a safe and healthy environment for both the fans and the players. Because of this incident, the NBA received heavy criticism from all over the world for their unprofessionalism. So, they had to take several measures to ensure this never happened again.?

What the NBA did after the ?Malice in the Palace? game

Today, at the halftime of every single NBA game, the stadium announces a simple reminder of how bad behavior (from fans as well as players) can lead to ejections from games and even, arrests and prosecution.

This is one result of the ?Malice at the Palace? game which happened in 2004. Apart from such measures that focus on educating the people, the NBA also worked tirelessly to revamp its image at the time: as a sports organization that hired ?thugs? for players. Hence, another measure the NBA initiated was the mandatory ?suit? dress code (from 2005 to 2020).

The NBA suspended all the players involved in the physical brawl indefinitely, and even released a public statement calling the players? actions ?shocking and repulsive?.

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What are your thoughts on Tim Donaghy?s perspective of the ?Malice in the Palace? game? Comment below!